Irvine Death Records

Irvine does not maintain death records. These documents are handled by Orange County under California vital records laws. For a death that occurred in Irvine, you need to contact the Orange County Clerk-Recorder or the Orange County Health Care Agency Office of Vital Records. The clerk-recorder main office is in Santa Ana at 12 Civic Center Plaza. The health office handles recent deaths while the clerk-recorder maintains historical records. You can order certificates online, in person, or by mail.

Orange County Handles Irvine Death Records

All death certificates for Irvine come from Orange County. California law assigns vital records to county governments, not cities.

Orange County operates two offices that issue death certificates. The Orange County Clerk-Recorder is at 12 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. This office maintains historical records and provides walk in service for all death years.

The Orange County Health Care Agency Office of Vital Records also processes death certificate requests. This health department office focuses on recent deaths from the current year and the previous year or two. They work directly with hospitals and funeral homes. Check the Orange County vital records page to determine which office to contact based on when the death occurred.

Both offices can issue death certificates for deaths anywhere in Orange County including Irvine and all other county cities. Staff can answer questions about record availability and processing times. Contact information is available on the county website.

How to Request a Death Certificate

Orange County accepts walk in requests, online orders, and mail applications. Choose the method that fits your needs best.

Walk in to the Santa Ana clerk-recorder office with valid photo ID and payment. The fee is $26 per copy. Staff can often print your certificate while you wait if the record is digitized. Very old records may take a few days if staff need to pull archived files. Pay with cash, check, money order, or credit card at the service counter.

Online ordering operates through VitalChek for Orange County. This third party service lets you request death certificates through their website 24 hours a day. You pay the $26 county fee plus VitalChek processing and shipping fees. Enter information about the deceased, select number of copies, and pay by credit or debit card. Processing and delivery take several weeks total. Your certificate arrives by mail once the county processes the order and VitalChek ships it.

Mail requests require a completed application form. Get the form from the Orange County website or by calling one of the county offices. Fill out all sections completely and accurately. Include a check or money order for $26 per copy made payable to Orange County Clerk-Recorder. Mail your packet to 12 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Processing takes a few weeks depending on workload. The county mails your certificate to the address you provide on the application.

For very recent deaths, consider contacting the health office instead of the clerk-recorder. The health office may process new records faster because they receive them directly from medical providers and funeral establishments. The clerk-recorder handles all historical records and also has copies of recent records.

Fees and Who Can Order

Orange County charges $26 for each death certificate. This is the standard fee for most California counties.

California recognizes two types of death certificates. Authorized copies carry full legal validity. Informational copies have a stamp stating they cannot establish identity. Both types cost $26 per copy.

Only certain people can receive authorized copies under Health and Safety Code Section 103526. Eligible persons include spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, and sibling of the deceased. You must submit a notarized sworn statement with your application declaring your relationship and right to receive the record.

Anyone can order an informational copy without proving relationship. No notarized statement is required. Informational copies work for genealogy and family history. They do not work for legal purposes like probate, insurance claims, or property transfers. Those matters require authorized copies.

VitalChek adds service fees to the $26 county charge. Total cost through VitalChek typically runs $40 to $50 or more per certificate depending on delivery options and payment method. Ordering direct from the county by walk in or mail costs exactly $26 with no extra fees. The convenience of online ordering may be worth the added expense for some people.

When Death Records Become Available

Death records need about two weeks to be filed after a death occurs. Do not order immediately.

Multiple steps must happen before a death certificate enters the county system. The funeral home completes their portion. The doctor or medical examiner certifies cause of death. All paperwork gets submitted to the county vital records office. Staff review and enter the record into the database. Only then can you order a certified copy.

Call Orange County if you are unsure whether a recent death record is ready. Staff can search their system and tell you if the record exists. Ordering too early results in a no record found response. The county keeps the search fee even when no record is found because you requested the search.

Old Death Records for Irvine

Orange County maintains death records for Irvine going back many decades. The clerk-recorder office is custodian of historical vital records.

Very old death certificates may not be digitized. Staff must locate microfilm or original paper files. This takes more time than accessing a computerized record. Recent deaths usually process quickly. Deaths from before the 1980s may require extra processing time for retrieval.

For deaths before July 1905, Orange County is your only source. The state office in Sacramento does not maintain records from before that date. The California State Archives may hold some pre-1905 Orange County records for research, but they cannot issue certified copies. Only the county can certify historical death records.

Genealogy websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry have digitized some old Irvine death records. These are useful for family history research. They are not certified and cannot be used for legal matters. Order from Orange County if you need an official certified copy of an old death record.

Details Required to Order

Collect this information before requesting a death certificate:

• Full name of deceased person
• Date of death or estimated year
• Place of death (Irvine or other Orange County location)
• Your name and relationship to deceased
• Current mailing address for delivery

Accurate information helps staff find the right record. Exact dates work best. If you only know the approximate year, provide that and the county can search a range. Wrong details may cause a failed search. You still pay the search fee even when the record is not found due to incorrect information.

When the deceased had a common name, include extra identifying information like parents' names or spouse's name. This helps staff confirm the correct record when multiple people share the same name and similar death dates.

State Office Alternative

The California Department of Public Health in Sacramento maintains copies of all death records from July 1905 to present. You can order Irvine death certificates from them instead of Orange County.

The state office is much slower than the county. Average processing time is five to seven weeks according to the state vital records processing times page. Orange County processes requests faster, especially for walk in service.

State fees are $24 by mail or $26 through VitalChek. Orange County charges $26 for walk in and mail orders. VitalChek adds extra fees for both state and county orders. The county usually delivers faster at similar cost. Most people get better results ordering from Orange County.

To order from the state, mail your completed application to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. Use state form VS 112 available on the CDPH website.

Other Orange County Cities

Orange County includes many cities. All use the same clerk-recorder and health office for death records.

Major cities: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach

Additional cities include Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster, Orange, Tustin, Lake Forest, Brea, Yorba Linda, and many more. Contact Orange County for death certificates from any city in the county.

Death Records from Other Counties

Deaths outside Orange County require contacting the appropriate county office. Each county maintains separate records.

Cities in nearby counties: Los Angeles (Los Angeles County), Riverside (Riverside County), San Diego (San Diego County)